tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12222935654644882832024-03-19T08:30:22.600-04:00THRD's BlogDynamics Online Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03067166350317417492noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-38162185054608467322012-08-16T16:11:00.003-04:002012-08-16T16:23:51.825-04:00Employers Foresee a More Flexible Work Force<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the temporary help services industry added nearly half a million workers and accounted for 91% of total nonfarm job growth from June 2009 through June 2011. <br />
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Additionally, over one-third of companies surveyed expect to <em>increase</em> their use of temporary or contract workers over the next five years to sustain a more flexible labor force.<br />
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The current staffing levels are substantial as related to employment, workforce flexibility and training, and ultimately, to meeting annual business objectives.<br />
<h4>
Jobs</h4>
Staffing companies match millions of people to millions of jobs. <br />
<ul>
<li>2.80 million people are employed by staffing companies every business day. </li>
<li>12.9 million temporary and contract employees are hired by U.S. staffing firms over the course of a year. </li>
<li>79% of staffing employees work full time, virtually the same as the rest of the work force. </li>
</ul>
<h4>
Flexibility</h4>
The staffing industry offers flexibility to both employees and companies. People can choose when, where, and how they want to work. Companies can get the skills they need to keep fully staffed during busy times. <br />
<ul>
<li>66% of staffing employees say flexible work time is important to them. </li>
<li>64% of staffing employees report that their work gives them the scheduling flexibility and the time for family that they desire. </li>
<li>90% of client businesses say staffing companies give them flexibility to keep fully staffed during busy times.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Bridge</h4>
Temporary and contract work provides a bridge to permanent employment. People can try out a prospective employer and showcase their skills for a permanent job. <br />
<ul>
<li>88% of staffing employees say that temporary or contract work made them more employable. </li>
<li>77% of staffing employees say it’s a good way to obtain a permanent job. </li>
<li>80% of staffing clients say staffing firms offer a good way to find people who can become permanent employees. </li>
</ul>
<h4>
Choice</h4>
Many people choose temporary and contract work as an employment option. They can select their work schedules and choose among a variety of diverse and challenging assignments. <br />
<ul>
<li>67% of staffing employees say choice of assignments was an important factor in their job decision. </li>
<li>23% of staffing employees have little or no interest in a permanent job—they prefer the alternative arrangement over traditional employment. </li>
<li>33% of staffing employees say they work for a staffing company because they like the diversity and challenge of different jobs. </li>
</ul>
<h4>
Training</h4>
The staffing industry provides free training for millions of temporary and contract employees to help meet today's demand for skilled workers. <br />
<ul>
<li>90% of staffing companies provide free training to their temporary and contract employees. </li>
<li>65% of staffing employees say they developed new or improved work skills through their assignments. </li>
<li>40% of staffing employees say they choose temporary or contract work as a way to obtain employment experience or job training. </li>
</ul>
<em>Staffing Statistics Source: American Staffing Association</em><br />
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Dynamics Online Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03067166350317417492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-63300335388865655472012-03-20T13:45:00.000-04:002012-03-20T13:45:05.464-04:00How Much Are You REALLY Paying Your Employees?My children have always attended a parochial school. Like many schools, ours has been faced with increased operating costs and declining enrollment. Even though it’s an educational institution, I would argue that it’s still a business. And many businesses are faced with similar challenges: providing quality products or services in the face of escalating operating costs and flat or declining revenue.<br />
<br />
This year, the school decided to disclose the contribution that the church congregation provides for every student. It was a smart – and long overdue – vehicle for communicating their financial investment in the students.<br />
<br />
I’m the first to admit that I was surprised by the numbers. I knew the church funded a significant portion of the costs. But I didn’t know exactly how much, or how their contribution compared to my (increasing) tuition payments. It added perspective to my perception of the value of the education.<br />
<br />
A Total Rewards Statement serves a similar purpose. A survey conducted by Harris Interactive and Charlton Consulting Group reported a correlation between employees’ understanding of and satisfaction with their total compensation. <br />
<br />
We define total compensation to include all elements of the pay package provided to employees on an annual basis, including all forms of cash, benefits, services and in-kind payments.<br />
<br />
Conceptually, employees understand that their employers contribute more than just base pay and cash incentives. I’m betting they don’t understand how much.<br />
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Some simple math (and a personalized, spiffy looking chart) reveals the surprising truth. It’s not unlike my monthly Visa statement, where seemingly insignificant charges for gasoline and the occasional trip to Panera (I can’t resist the soup) can add up to well… a lot!<br />
<br />
There’s no singular best approach to producing Total Rewards Statements. But producing them is one of the best approaches you can take to communicate the full value of cash compensation and benefits. <br />
<br />
Try out our sample <a href="http://www.thrd.com/total_reward_2012.xlsx"><strong>Total Rewards Statement</strong>. </a><br />
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<em>Authored by Sandy Turba</em>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-25688586976933862052012-02-15T16:33:00.002-05:002012-02-15T16:40:17.151-05:00Workforce Planning 2012Combine a stronger Labor Market with a large percentage of workers planning to seek new jobs in 2012, and you risk the potential for large gaps in your workforce and increased hiring activity.<br /><br />In workforce planning, an organization conducts a systematic assessment of workforce content and composition issues and determines what actions must be taken to respond to future needs. The actions to be taken may depend on external factors (e.g. skill availability) as well as interna<a name="_GoBack"></a>l factors (e.g. age of the workforce). These factors may determine whether future skill needs will be met by recruiting, by training, or by outsourcing the work.<br /><br /><strong>Workforce planning involves working through four issues: </strong><br /><br /><ul><br /><li>The composition and content of the workforce that will be required to strategically position the organization to deal with its possible futures and business objectives. </li><br /><br /><li>The gaps that exist between the future "model" organization(s) and the existing organization, including any special skills required by possible futures. </li><br /><br /><li>The recruiting and training plans for permanent and contingent staff that must be put in place to deal with those gaps. </li><br /><br /><li>The determination of the outside sources that will be able to meet the skill needs for functions or processes that are to be outsourced. </li></ul><strong>Finding Outside Sources to Meet Outsourcing Needs </strong><br /><br />In business/HR alignment and planning, processes and functions are found that might need to be outsourced to accommodate strategic positioning scenarios. As a result of the more detailed staffing assessment and a review of critical skills availability, additional outsourcing needs may surface.<br /><br />A skill that is critical, in short supply, and needed only periodically is a prime target for outsourcing. If such needs can be handled through contingent staff, for example, by using retirees, the organization will, of course, be ahead. However, many high demand, low supply, leading edge skill needs may have to be met through outsourcing to specialized contractors.<br /><br />Whatever the reason for outsourcing, a key HR issue is helping to select the outside sources that can supply the needed numbers of people and skills, and their track record with other organizations. Since there are financial and other considerations, selection of outside sources should be a team process. Contact THRD: <a href="http://www.thrd.com/staffingservices.html">http://www.thrd.com/staffingservices.html</a>Dynamics Online Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03067166350317417492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-44628343609089021532012-01-10T12:10:00.004-05:002012-01-10T12:26:31.150-05:00Five Suggestions for a Successful Year<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oxa4wFYQi3s/Twxy2iEKXJI/AAAAAAAAABQ/h2lY-eYMT2s/s1600/Checklist.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696053909899598994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oxa4wFYQi3s/Twxy2iEKXJI/AAAAAAAAABQ/h2lY-eYMT2s/s200/Checklist.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I like to start each day with a clean slate. I got this practice from a former boss who believed coming into the office each morning with a clean desk set the stage to begin the day with enthusiasm and a fresh look. I definitely feel that way about the new year. It’s a new opportunity to review methodologies, objectives, processes, mission, human resource practices, why we keep the extra toner by the kitchen instead of next to the printer. So to start the year off right here are five suggestions for a successful year:</span><br /><br /><ol><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Plan what is needed to execute new ideas or fix current processes. Without an overarching roadmap for what you want to accomplish, nothing else can get done.<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Evaluate your team for skills or needed training. Determine what capabilities your staff will need to develop in order maximize your chances of reaching your goals. Now is the time to research options such as additional training or outside assistance to fill those gaps.<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Clearly explain to your team what is expected of them. Many departments are still smaller than in past years. Make sure each person understands his or her new roles and responsibilities to reduce the risk of falling through the cracks.<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Establish a mechanism to provide an early warning for failure. Sometimes it really is best to quit while ahead.<br /></span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Determine the consequences of failure. Are the consequences big enough for everyone to want to do their best but small enough that employees won’t leave the team rather than fail? If you want your team to follow you through fire, they need to know they won’t get burned…too badly.<br /></span></li></ol><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;">What are you waiting for? Let’s get to work!<br /></span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;"><br />Authored by Jeanine Maddox</span></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-50183727681772861782011-12-08T21:53:00.006-05:002011-12-08T22:22:06.933-05:00Social Security Administrations Provides Assistance to HR Professionals<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s7k08dkt4sk/TuF-1DwrHxI/AAAAAAAAAA4/4TNcF8au7j0/s1600/Retirement.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683963654725902098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 105px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s7k08dkt4sk/TuF-1DwrHxI/AAAAAAAAAA4/4TNcF8au7j0/s200/Retirement.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Do you want to help your employees understand their options as they transition to retirement or other life events? If so, the Social Security Administration has a webpage just for you! Go to <a href="http://ssa.gov/hrm/">http://ssa.gov/hrm/</a>. This site provides information to human resource professionals regarding the various Social Security programs and Medicare. Direct your employees to the site too. There are benefits calculators, retirement planning videos, and a link to find the nearest Social Security office for face-to-face interaction.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-38948132410275908962011-10-06T17:10:00.002-04:002011-10-06T17:13:09.567-04:00NLRB Postpones Posting of Notice of Employee Rights<span style="font-family:arial;">The National Labor Relations Board has postponed the implementation date for its new notice-posting rule by more than two months in order to allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small and medium sized businesses. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The new effective date of the rule is January 31, 2012. </span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-52590165944737400652011-10-04T09:54:00.003-04:002011-10-04T10:17:43.310-04:00Challenges to NLRA Employee Rights Posting<p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Several organizations allege the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) exceeded its statutory authority by requiring, beginning on November 14, 2011, most private sector employers to post a notice advising employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The following organizations have filed suit in various federal courts against the NLRB to prevent the posting: </span></p><br /><ul><br /><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">National Association of Manufacturers </span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">National Federation of Independent Businesses</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">South Carolina Chamber of Commerce</span></li></ul><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">In addition, Representative Benjamin E. Quayle (Arizona) introduced the Employee Workplace Freedom Act (H.R. 2833) to repeal the notice-posting rule. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. </span></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-26379387264238701382011-10-03T14:03:00.006-04:002011-12-08T22:15:27.434-05:00Ohio Minimum Wage Increase for 1/1/12<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvSq-fJp3e0/TuF9QvGBWII/AAAAAAAAAAs/Ni3O7_0aYwI/s1600/OH%2BMinimum%2BWage%2BIncrease.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683961931191376002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 141px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvSq-fJp3e0/TuF9QvGBWII/AAAAAAAAAAs/Ni3O7_0aYwI/s200/OH%2BMinimum%2BWage%2BIncrease.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ohio's minimum wage rate will increase to $7.70 an hour from $7.40 an hour on Jan. 1, 2012. The minimum wage rate for tipped employees will rise to $3.85 an hour from $3.70 an hour. The threshold for employers covered by Ohio's minimum wage also will increase Jan. 1, and will include employers that have gross receipts of more than $283,000 a year, up from the current threshold of $271,000 a year. Employers with less than the threshold of gross receipts must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-17846682332287926402011-10-03T09:48:00.007-04:002011-10-04T09:48:16.667-04:00NLRA Employee Rights Posting<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WdLWXuVXbpc/Ton28jiBhHI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/Dw_1JBjgVBY/s1600/Notice.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659325926958269554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WdLWXuVXbpc/Ton28jiBhHI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/Dw_1JBjgVBY/s200/Notice.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br />
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<br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Effective November 14, 2011 Employers are required to post notice of employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This far reaching notice covers most private-sector employers including labor unions. Agricultural, railroad and airline employers are excluded from the requirement. Small employers that conduct less than $50,000 worth of business across state lines are also excluded. </span>
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">
<br />A workplace poster that describes employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act is now available for free download from the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) website at </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.nlrb.gov/poster">www.nlrb.gov/poster</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. In addition, copies of the Notice will soon be available without charge from </span><a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/who-we-are/regional-offices"><span style="font-family:arial;">any NLRB regional office</span></a>.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A few frequently asked questions about the notice are included below.
<br /></span>
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Q<span style="font-size:85%;">&</span><span style="color:#cc0000;">A</span> </span></span>
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">ANSWERS TO COMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NLRB NOTICE POSTING</span>
<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">
<br /><strong>QUESTION:</strong> Where do I have to post the notice?
<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>ANSWER:</strong></span> The notice should be posted in conspicuous places, where other workplace rights notices and company notices concerning personnel rules or policies are customarily posted. Employers must also post the notice in another language in addition to English if at least 20% of their employees are not proficient in English and speak another language. The NLRB will provide translations of the notice, and of the required link to the Board’s website, in the appropriate languages. If a translation of the appropriate language is not available, the employer will not be liable for non-compliance. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">
<br /><strong>QUESTION:</strong> What if I communicate with my employees electronically?
<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>ANSWER:</strong></span> If an internet or intranet site is typically used to post personnel policies, the notice of NLRA rights may be placed there along with a physical posting. Employers are not required to distribute the posting by email, Twitter or other electronic means.
<br />
<br /><strong>QUESTION:</strong> Are there any records retention requirements to comply with this rule?
<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>ANSWER:</strong></span> No, the rule has no record-keeping or reporting requirements.
<br />
<br /><strong>QUESTION:</strong> What happens if we don’t post this?
<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>ANSWER:</strong></span> Although the NLRB does not audit workplaces or initiate enforcement actions on its own, employees, unions, or other persons could accuse the employer of unfair labor charges and bring this to the NLRB’s attention. In most cases, the employer will be made aware of the rule and given time to comply when requested by a NLRB agent. In such cases, the unfair labor practice case will typically be closed without further action. The Board also may extend the 6-month statute of limitations for filing a charge involving other unfair labor practice allegations against the employer. If an employer knowingly and willfully fails to post the notice, that failure may be considered evidence of unlawful motive in an unfair labor practice case involving other alleged violations of the NLRA.
<br />
<br /><strong>QUESTION:</strong> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Can an employer be fined for failing to post the Notice?</span><span style="font-family:arial;">
<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>ANSWER:</strong></span> No, the NLRB does not have the authority to levy fines.
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-54986730121255814162011-10-03T09:42:00.001-04:002011-10-03T09:44:51.552-04:00VETS 100/100A Filing Deadline Re-Extended<span style="font-family:arial;">Due to continuing technical problems, the filing deadline for the 2011 VETS-100 and VETS-100A Report has been extended for a second time, according to an updated announcement on the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) website; the deadline is now <strong>December 30, 2011</strong>, with reporting beginning November 1.</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-13988290343430159802011-09-22T16:06:00.000-04:002011-09-22T16:06:25.628-04:002012 Compensation Budget Highlights<strong>Overall Projected 2012 Increases :</strong><br />
<br />
3.0% (excluding organizations not providing increases)<br />
2.9% (including organizations not providing increases)<br />
<br />
<strong>Observations:</strong><br />
<ul><li> Due in large part to unemployment, the rate of inflation (3.2% for the 12-month period ending August 2011) exceeded the average 2011 salary budget increase of 2.8%. </li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li> In spite of continued high unemployment, employers are concerned about finding, keeping and rewarding top performers. Both WorldatWork and Mercer report that organizations are continuing “pay for performance” practices: tying salary increases to employee performance. WorldatWork reports an average estimated merit increase of 4.0% for top performers, 2.7% for middle performers, and 0.7% for low performers.</li>
</ul><div></div>A number of factors may influence projected salary increase budgets: industry sector, ownership (public, private or non-profit), organization size, employee category (officer/executive, exempt, non-exempt). <br />
<br />
It is not uncommon for actual salary increases to fall short of the projections. WorldatWork reported that average merit increase budgets for 2011 were 2.8% - slightly below the 2.9% projection.<br />
<br />
Salary structure adjustments in 2011 were projected to average 2.0%. A salary structure adjustment is made in an effort to maintain competitive salary ranges. Bear in mind that a structure adjustment is not the same as the salary increase pool. The salary increase pool is based on additional factors, including the organization’s compensation and talent management strategies, what the organization can afford to do based in part on business performance, and wanting to remain competitive within a particular market. Historically, structure adjustments have been 60%-70% of projected salary increase budgets.<br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">sources:</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mercer 2011/2012 U.S. Compensation Planning Survey report</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">WorldatWork 2011/2012 Salary Budget Survey</span></em>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-3353800589092378832011-08-03T15:56:00.003-04:002011-08-15T13:17:34.750-04:00Technical Issues Cause Delay in 2011VETS 100 ReportingThe U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that the online filing system for VETS-100 and VETS-100A Federal contract reporting will be unavailable until October 1, 2011, due to technical problems. While the electronic filing system is offline, Federal contractors will not be able to register or file VETS-100 or VETS-100A submissions for the 2011 cycle, which typically ends on September 30 each year.
<br />
<br />Federal contractors will have until November 30th to file the reports for 2011.
<br />
<br />The website for filing and further information is <a href="http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/fcp/main.htm">http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/fcp/main.htm</a>.
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-70039921145146497652011-06-01T16:30:00.000-04:002011-06-01T16:30:00.258-04:00Pay Practices for 2011 - and BeyondSometimes there's no going back. I smiled when I read "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/22/obsolete-things-decade_n_800240.html#s210857&title=Watches">You're Out: 20 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade" </a>in <em>The Huffington Post. </em>I'm not certain if my smile was one of nostalgia or simply one of acknowledgement that I am, as one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs says, "Older than I once was, but younger than I'll be." What I do know is that there was at least one thing they forgot to add to the list: the average 6% (sometimes more!) salary increase pool of the 1990s. Ahhhh... those were the days, my friend!<br />
<br />
Base pay salary increase pools are projected to be 3.0% in 2011 (source: WorldatWork 2010-2011 Salary Budget Data). But historically, the <em>actual</em> increase pool typically falls a little short of the projected pool. In 2010, the actual came in around 2.7%, about 90% of the 3.0% that was projected for 2010.<br />
<br />
The good news is that whereas base pay adjustment pools are declining, incentive opportunities as a percent of base pay have been on the rise. WorldatWork (in the Salary Budget Data report cited above) reported the following projected median variable pay opportunities for 2011:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Nonmanagement Hourly Nonunion: 5%</li>
<li>Nonmanagement Salaried: 7%</li>
<li>Management Salaried: 15% </li>
<li>Officers/Executives: 30%</li>
</ul>These projections are similar to the 2010 projections, and actual payouts in 2010 held pretty close to the projections. That's good news, because it means that more organizations were achieving their performance targets.<br />
<br />
But base pay, dare I say, is still king. Why? Because it's guaranteed. And if the base pay isn't right (choose your favorite synonym: competitive, fair, etc.), the upside potential of the variable piece is the carrot that very few will have the appetite to wait for. <br />
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So whether you've got 3.0% or something less, you're faced with a cultural and mathematical dilemma: how to slice a very small pie into enough pieces to feed the masses. <br />
<br />
Here are some practical strategies for your salary increase process:<br />
<br />
<ol><li><strong>Benchmark key jobs against the market</strong>. If you haven't gauged your market-competitiveness in a while, and don't have time to take a wholesale look now, focus on a handful of jobs: those for which you've had difficulty recruiting; jobs where you've had excessive voluntary turnover; jobs where you have your high-potential or highest performing employees and jobs that require special, hard-to-find or hard-to-build skills. Make sure that your salary structure base pay levels are competitive with the market.</li>
<li><strong>Identify your high performers and most critical employees.</strong> If you use a ratings-based performance management process, that's one source of input. But don't rely on that alone. Consider feedback from managers, customers or other employees. Take a look at client feedback or satisfaction surveys, productivity metrics and service quality reports. Do a "gut" check. Who do other employees like working with and who do managers want working for them? Who are the people who are innovative, reliable, hardworking? Make sure their base pay is market-competitive. </li>
<li><strong>Acknowledge that treating people fairly does not mean that you need to treat them all equally</strong>. Or, put differently, if you attempt to give everyone something, you've diluted your ability to make some important impacts with your small salary budget. If you've got employees under the minimum of the range, begin to make some fixes. If you've got underperforming employees within the range, think hard about the message you're sending if you adjust their pay.</li>
<li><strong>Hold back 0.5% (or some small portion) of the budget to make other adjustments.</strong> Maybe you've got a top performer whose base is near the top of the range. Consider a lump sum instead of a base adjustment. Or use some of the funds to add to the adjustment for employees who are being promoted.</li>
<li><strong>Consider creating a Total Rewards Statement. </strong>These statements typically include base salary, any incentive paid in the previous year, the value of paid time off and employer contributions to benefits plans, retirement/savings plans and legally required taxes. Total Rewards Statements are a great tool for helping employees see the full value of their compensation and benefits. They're even more effective if they become part of a face-to-face conversation during the salary increase process.</li>
<li><strong>Talk to your employees. </strong>Thank them for a job well done. Ask them what they like about their job and the company. Listen to what they have to say. </li>
</ol>Pay meets a basic need. In Maslow's Hierarchy, it's near the foundation of the pyramid. It meets the "safety" need. But the good stuff - the stuff that separates the great employees from the others - is about achievement, respect by and for others, creativity. spontaneity. And when those needs are met, you don't just have "employees." You have <em>high-performing</em> employees. <br />
<br />
To my dismay, handwritten letters made the list of <em>"20 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade."</em> Let's make sure that the face-to-face conversation and the spoken thank-you don't meet the same fate. <br />
<br />
Authored by Sandy TurbaSandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-35215060431319987812011-05-18T15:00:00.000-04:002011-05-18T17:04:19.522-04:00You Can't Motivate PeopleThere. I said it. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in the context of pay for performance and the development of incentive compensation plans. Mostly I've been living it at home with my children.<br /><br />There's no shortage of expert opinions when it comes to giving kids an allowance. I'm an allowance advocate. I say it helps children understand the value of money, and therefore helps to create sensible spending habits and the building blocks for financial awareness.<br /><br />But you're probably wondering what this has to do with motivation and incentive pay. Everything!<br /><br />You see, in my household, I take it one step further. The allowance is the "base pay" -- consistent from week to week, and tied to my kids' basic job duties (translation: chores). But I've instituted an incentive program, too. Sometimes there are things that need to be done -- like washing windows in the spring or pulling weeds. But I've got a full-time job, a bad back and an aversion to yard work. So I attach extra money as an incentive for the completion of specific jobs.<br /><br />For years my plan was foolproof! My now 14-year-old daughter was clearly motivated by my incentive program. She would create a list of the various jobs and total the amount of money she could earn from them, checking off each job as she completed it, and collecting her reward. Perfect!<br /><br />Until I tried it with my 10-year-old. First, let it be said that the jobs are always age-appropriate. But I came to learn that the 10-year-old wasn't motivated by money. It's not that she doesn't enjoy having her own money to spend. She does. But apparently not so much that she was willing to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">forego</span> a repeat episode of <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">iCarly</span> </em>long enough to earn an extra five bucks.<br /><br />I couldn't understand why my plan - whose effectiveness I believed to be self-evident and empirically substantiated - wasn't working with her. Then she said the unthinkable. I can't recall exactly what I had asked her to do. But when she finished she said (and I quote): "Mom, I feel such a sense of accomplishment!"<br /><br />That was my "a-ha" moment. It wasn't the money that motivated her. It wasn't<em> me </em>who motivated her. The source of the motivation was something <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">instrinsic</span>. She felt some sense of achievement. Maybe she enjoyed some aspect of the work itself (much the way I find ironing to be cathartic).<br /><br />There are several theories of motivation. I happen to like <a href="http://www.businessballs.com/herzberg.htm">Frederick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Herzberg's</span></a>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Herzberg</span> theorized that money was not a motivator, but a "hygiene factor." In other words, salary and benefits have to be adequate (I'll say competitive) but beyond that, in and of itself, they won't noticeably improve the level of motivation. The important factors, according to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Herzberg</span>, the true motivators, are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">instrinsically</span>-oriented: recognition, achievement, growth, responsibility, advancement/promotion, and the work itself.<br /><br />I'm not saying that incentive pay doesn't have a place in your total rewards program. What I am saying is this: think about your people -not simply as a collective workforce but as individual parts of a whole. What conditions or what sort work environment or opportunities will help jump-start their self-motivation? Those are the things that you can influence. The rest is up to them.<br /><br />I like the way Stephen Covey describes it: "Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly."<br /><br />Authored by Sandy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Turba</span>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-75773767114659992052011-04-26T15:25:00.000-04:002011-05-05T12:12:29.333-04:00Three Good Reasons for an Anti-Bullying PolicyI don't know if I've ever really been bullied. I can picture the quintessential bully: the big kid that pins the little kid against his locker, demanding his lunch money as ransom. And who can forget Farkus, the town bully in <em>A Christmas Story? </em>But bullying isn't relegated to the school lunchroom or playground. Heck, it's not confined to physical boundaries at all. You've heard of cyber bullying, right?<br /><br />Most companies have policies and programs designed to prevent harassment and workplace violence. So how is bullying different? And why do you need a anti-bullying policy?<br /><br />The basic difference between bullying and harassment is that harassment typically refers to repeated, hostile behaviors based on religion, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability or another legally protected status. With bullying, these behaviors aren't specific to individuals who fall into one of these categories. And whereas workplace violence refers to physical violence, bullying is typically non-physical. It's psychological. On the surface, it can appear subtle. It's consquences are anything but.<br /><br />At minimum, an anti-bullying policy reinforces your code of ethics or code of conduct.<br /><br />From a purely practical business perspective, there are at least three strong arguments for taking the time to implement an anti-bullying policy:<br /><br /><ol><br /><li>Reduce employee turnover </li><br /><li>Improve productivity</li><br /><li>Mitigate the risk of litigation</li></ol><br /><p>According to research presented in <a href="http://www.thepeoplebottomline.com/bullying.html">The People Bottomline</a>, victims of work place trauma can spend up to 52% of their time <em>"defending themselves, and networking for support, thinking about the situation, being demotivated and stressed, let alone absences due to stress-related illnesses."<br /></em></p><br /><p>But aside from the return on investment for implementing a policy or program that lifts morale and productivity and keeps employees in the workplace instead of the courtroom, at the most basic level, it's the right thing to do.</p><br /><p>Authored by Sandy Turba<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-85608341429325466702011-04-08T15:00:00.000-04:002011-04-08T15:25:59.313-04:00Dollars and Sense: Cost of Living or Competitive Wage Increase?<p>The difference is really a question of philosophy. Unlike a lot of philosophy I’ve read over the years, this one is simple logic.</p><br /><p>First, the basics: </p><br /><p><strong>Cost of living</strong> reflects the price of goods and services required to maintain an “average” level or standard of living. When companies provide a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), it is based on inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI). (Didn’t take a class in macroeconomics? No problem - check out the <a href="http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpiqa.htm">BLS</a> for enough of a primer on the CPI to make you dangerous.) </p><br /><p><strong>Cost of labor</strong> reflects the wages paid to workers. (Doesn’t this sound much simpler? And don’t people want to be paid similarly to their peers?) In part, cost of living is cost of lifestyle. Clearly, there’s lots of room for variation. Competitive wages, however, are tied to the cost of labor – which logically will include relevant cost of living considerations based on the labor market. </p><br /><p>I’m no fan of the cost of living increase as a pay strategy. Here’s why:</p><br /><ol><br /><li>The CPI, and hence, the cost of living, fluctuates. But you don’t see companies taking money away from employees when it drops. I’m not advocating that they should, but adjustments to pay based solely on cost of living are expensive over time. Worst case scenario is that wages are frozen, and that does little to retain the people you can’t afford to lose. </li><br /><li>Providing across-the-board COL increases to all job holders devalues the market and internal worth of various jobs, individual contributions and performance. It can also exacerbate pay inequities. That’s why you’re annoyed when you’ve worked your back end off all year only to receive the same increase as your slacker co-worker three cubes over. </li><br /><li>Coupling COL adjustments with longevity pay inevitably results in wages that far exceed the market and ultimately becomes cost prohibitive. But the employees love them – and so they rarely leave! (That’s not always a good thing.) </li></ol><br /><p>Sure, we can easily compute the future value of a bad compensation decision in dollars and cents. It’s a little more difficult to quantify the loss of key employees who aren’t paid competitively or the decline in productivity due to lack of employee engagement. Those costs, I’m afraid, are very real. </p><br /><p>Authored by Sandy Turba</p>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-67805130591083957662010-09-03T10:31:00.000-04:002010-09-03T10:37:39.094-04:00Day in the Life Summary Report<span style="font-family:arial;">In early 2010, The Human Resource Department, Inc. (THRD) hired an outside firm to assist in our marketing strategy. In total, HR executives and core staff members from sixteen employers participated with us in a key phase of this project.<br /><br />Here is the summary report. Although some of what we learned was expected, there were also some surprises.<br /><br />Based on the outcome of our strategic initiative, including the collective feedback from participating organizations, we have clarified our target market and redefined some of our service offerings. In addition, we intend to develop a new service to enhance our compliance practice. Look for more on this in the coming months.<br /><br />On behalf of The Human Resource Department Inc. and our consultant, Lazorpoint LLC, we hope you find this summary useful and interesting.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">To learn more, <a href="http://www.thrd.com/dayinthelife.html">click here</a>.</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-20598724308164859442010-04-30T11:20:00.001-04:002010-04-30T11:21:54.998-04:00This blog has moved<br /> This blog is now located at http://thrdblog.blogspot.com/.<br /> You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click <a href='http://thrdblog.blogspot.com/'>here</a>.<br /><br /> For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to<br /> http://thrdblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.<br /> Dynamics Online Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03067166350317417492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-17626389079467462952010-03-22T13:11:00.000-04:002010-03-22T13:18:45.488-04:00How long is too long for a temporary assignment?<blockquote></blockquote><p>A contingent workforce is often necessary to support operational requirements. Employer concerns over long-term temporary assignments have been on-going since the well-known litigation during the 1990s involving Microsoft Corp. (Vizcaino v. Microsoft).<br /><br />A common misconception is that length of assignment should determine if a temporary or contract worker is in fact a common-law employee. There will always be a need for utilizing leased employees, and sometimes the need will extend well beyond a year or longer. To protect your company from exposure to litigation, make sure the staffing firm you select implements "best practices" to reduce risk of misclassifying employees.<br /><br />The American Staffing Association (ASA) suggests the following guidelines. </p><p>Staffing firms should take responsibility for: </p><ul><li>Recruiting, screening, testing, training, and interviewing the employees</li><li>Determining the employees' wages, benefits, and expense reimbursement</li><li>Hiring, firing, assigning, and reassigning the employees</li><li>Handling the employees' complaints and discipline</li><li>Distributing the employees' paychecks</li></ul><p>Other steps that can be taken include:</p><ul><li>Requiring distinctive badges for employees supplied by staffing firms</li><li>Making separate reference to the staffing firm employees in client communications</li><li>Channeling any client social invitations through the staffing firm</li><li>Making appropriate distinctions between staffing firm employees and regular employees in business cards, letterheads, etc.</li><li>Maintaining a staffing firm supervisory presence at the work site<br /></li></ul><p>Length of assignment is not the sole issue in determining the employment status of employees supplied by staffing firms. For tax and benefits purposes, it is one of many factors under the common-law control test. Assignment limits may even carry some risk if the client has not clearly excluded the staffing firm employees from its benefit plans because they might be construed as an effort to deny benefits by preventing the staffing firm employees from reaching the hours needed for plan participation.</p><p>In addition to minimizing contact with staffing firm employees, amending benefit plans to exclude staffing firm employees, and executing employee waivers, are important steps clients should take to protect against retro-benefits liability. Staffing agencies typically have benefits options to offer to their temporary employees. </p><p>Employers should be encouraged to review their assignment limit policies to determine whether they are too restrictive or even unnecessary. In any case, following the recommended guidelines will increase the value of staffing services to clients and reduce clients' exposure to liability.</p>Dynamics Online Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03067166350317417492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-27358214074913390172010-01-29T13:57:00.000-05:002010-01-29T17:28:56.484-05:00Social Media and Self Preservation<p>The choice is yours: ride the train or be squarely positioned on the tracks as it comes barreling by. That's how I feel about social media. Social networking is ubiquitous. It enables us to be "uber" connected with others in a way that transcends any other form of media.<br /><br />You can't see me blushing, but the truth is that I just created my Facebook profile a month ago. One of my initial observations was the role that social media plays in employment - both from a "push" and a "pull" perspective. Companies use social media as marketing and branding tools. Individuals use social media as networking and job search tools. Employers use social media as a recruitment tool.<br /><br />So I told myself what I told my daughter when we bought her a cell phone and signed up for unlimited text messaging: "Don't send anything in a text message that you would be embarrassed to let me read." My general guidelines for using social media aren't that much different: whatever we write should be at best, thought provoking but not provocative; and at worst, ordinary and innocuous.<br /><br />The way we present ourselves on a social networking site is, in effect, our "brand." If I look at someone's profile, I get a virtual video of who they are, simply by looking at pictures, comments, personal information, writing style, and how they spend their time. That's when I became aware of simulation games such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars. I haven't played them, but I can't begin to count the number of white mystery eggs that my Facebook "friends" have discovered on their farms. Some of my friends are animal lovers, too - like my friend Susan, who extricated a purple sea horse from a tangled mess of kelp. I'm flummoxed by how much time people appear to spend playing these games. And while Tony Soprano may give you props for earning amethyst cuff links in Mafia Wars, I'm underwhelmed. As for me, I've achieved gold medal status playing ping pong on the Wii. Don't misunderstand me. I'm proud of this (largely because it's my primary form of exercise). But you'll never see it on my Facebook wall.<br /><br />To my point: be cautious about what you reveal to your friends (and the friends of your friends). It's easier to avoid the pitfalls of "TMI" with business-oriented networking sites like LinkedIn. But if you're using a site like Facebook, muster up a little restraint. I leave you with my own tips for protecting "brand you":<br /><br />1.<strong> Learn how to use the privacy settings for your profile.</strong> The privacy settings in Facebook allow you to control who can see your profile, who can post to your wall, and who can see your search results in Facebook and on search engines. You also have the ability to block specific people from interacting with you on Facebook.<br /><br />2.<strong> Give serious consideration to what type of information and how much detail you're willing to share.</strong> Do you want to share your political views? I'm not suggesting you shouldn't - just that you should carefully consider every piece of personal information that will become public.<br /><br />3. What about that photo of you from spring break in Cancun? You get the picture. <strong>Don't post any photos that even hint at being inappropriate.<br /></strong><br />4. <strong>Avoid using Facebook while you're on the clock at work!</strong> I'm often amazed at notifications of friends' activities during times when they are clearly at work - and it's not even lunchtime.<br /><br />5. <strong>Avoid mixing friends and business associates.</strong> Decide how you want to use the site - as a means of connecting with family and friends, or connecting with business associates.<br /><br />I don't doubt that employers and recruiters use social networking sites to vet potential employees. Your profile may only be visible to friends and friends of friends, but people are pretty resourceful.<br /><br />There's a lot to learn - check out the <a href="http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/">Holy Grail of Facebook Privacy. </a></p><p>In the meantime, I'm keeping a low "profile" and staying out of FarmVille. That is, until a friend notifies me that it's time to harvest a <em>real </em>money tree. </p>Authored by Sandy Turba<br /><p></p>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-7317614043060333842010-01-12T14:11:00.000-05:002010-01-12T14:28:19.029-05:00Navigating an OFCCP Audit<p>In my previous blogs, I've discussed wage and hour requirements and the elements of a compliant AAP. But what should you do if you've received the dubious honor of being selected by the OFCCP for an audit? Read on.<br /><br />Under the OFCCP's new Active Case Management system for conducting non-construction compliance evaluations, all compliance reviews now begin with a standard desk audit.<br /><br /><strong><em>If you receive notice of a desk audit, you will need to send a copy of your AAP (both the plan for females and minorities and the plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities) for the current plan year, as well as the items on the listing attached to the letter (11 total).</em></strong> This includes activity data for the first six months of the current plan year if you receive the audit letter in the second half of your plan year. The AAP and supplemental data to be sent is based on the address where the audit letter is sent; that location is the "establishment" that is being audited.<br /><br />The itemized listing of data/information to be sent also includes:</p><ul><li>compensation data for all employees included in the AAP, </li><li>copies of any bargaining unit contracts; and</li><li>copies of the last three years of EEO-1 filings<br /></li></ul><p>You will have 30 days from the receipt of the letter to provide the current AAP and the additional information requested. Once the response package is received at the OFCCP office that issued the audit letter, they will check to see if all required items are included and will analyze the information provided to determine if there are indicators of "systemic discrimination" (i.e., a potential affected class of 10 or more applicants/workers). If there are no indicators and your AAP is compliant with the regulations, you will receive a closure letter. If there are indicators, a full desk audit will be conducted. This will entail further requests for information and possibly an on-site review. If there is an on-site review, it will likely include a review of I-9 records, interviews of employees and managers, and a review of employment records.<br /><br />Based on our experience over the past 12 years in support of numerous clients through the audit process, we leave you with the following tips to help you navigate the process:<br /></p><ul><li>Verify that the data you submit is accurate and complete and in full response to the request. It is very difficult to explain away errors in the data submitted.</li><li>Respond in a timely manner to all items listed in the audit letter, as well as additional requests for information, to the extent that they are reasonable requests. If you need more time to respond accurately and completely, ask for it.</li><li>Be ready to explain the non-discriminatory reasons for negative results in the analysis.</li><li>Get your I-9's in order.</li><li>Document your efforts in outreach to veterans and individuals with disabilities. </li><li>Check your workplace and applicant process for accessibility; and your documentation of postings of job openings to state agencies.</li><li>Ensure that you have met your EEO-1 and VETS 100/100A filing requirements.</li><li>Make sure your applicant flow data meets the standards expected by the OFCCP (see the previous blog for details).</li><li>Review your employee files to confirm that they do not contain information that should be in separate confidential files (e.g., medical information, internal investigation reports).</li><li>Prepare a list of accomplishments and good faith efforts for the previous and current plan years.<br /></li></ul><p>The audit will either be closed out with a closure letter indicating that no violations were found or that only technical violations were found that are easily remedied. If discriminatory practices are found, a conciliation agreement and possible monetary settlement will result.<br /><br />Here's the good news: once an audit is closed out, you cannot be audited again at that location for two years.<br /></p><p><br />Authored by Dave Waldorf</p>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-3621283039039225692009-12-18T12:59:00.000-05:002009-12-18T13:24:40.809-05:00Surviving a Wage and Hour Audit<p>So you've prepared as best you can for a wage and hour audit. Or maybe you haven't prepared at all. Either way, don't panic! You'll feel a bit more comfortable if you know what to expect, and how to manage the process.</p><ul><li><strong>The investigator will ask questions about what the company does, and who makes decisions.</strong> He or she will ask for a Federal Tax ID number, annual dollar volume of business, structure of the business and other information in order to verify coverage of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The investigator will then ask to see the I-9's, payroll and employee records. </li></ul><p></p><ul><li><strong>One person (preferably an employee with some authority) should be assigned to work with the investigator.</strong> That person should keep a list of all records examined, all questions asked, and all employees or other persons interviewed by the investigator. The investigator should be advised that this employee is being assigned as the designated point of contact during the course of the investigation and that in seeking company records or making inquiries about them, the investigator is to work exclusively through this employee only.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li><strong>Provide the investigator with a private office or other area </strong>that is reasonably separated from other employees, especially those employees who have access to office records.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li><strong>Escort the investigator about the premises as needed.</strong> Don't allow him or her to wander about freely.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li><strong>Allow the investigator to examine all payroll and time records for the most recent two-year period.</strong> When time records are requested, bring in no more than two or three weeks of time records at one time. All time records for terminated employees should be pulled and kept separately from current employees' time cards, and only supplied if requested.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li>You are not required to permit employee interviews on company time or on the company premises. However, <strong>the investigator has a right to interview employees</strong> about work performed, hours worked and pay received. We recommend that you allow them to do this on company time and on company premises rather than making them do this at the employee's home after work. The investigator should be advised that when he or she wants to speak to any employees, each employee will be brought to the investigator individually, upon request, by the person you've designated to work with the investigator. </li></ul><p></p><ul><li><strong>At the conclusion of the investigation, the investigator will discuss any violations</strong> (if there are any) and will ask for the company's position with respect to future compliance and the payment of back wages on the basis of the violations found. You can (and should) defer a response in order to review this with your legal counsel.<br /></li></ul><p>We recommend referencing the Wage and Hour Division's <a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs44.htm">Fact Sheet </a> on employee visits for further details.<br /><br />Last tip: make sure that your I-9 records are up to date and the forms are certified properly. This is checked in the routine audits that are conducted. Keep your I-9s for all employees in a separate file so that it is easy to provide these to the auditor. </p><p>Authored by Dave Waldorf<br /></p>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-75426779308281784212009-12-01T13:28:00.000-05:002009-12-01T14:13:58.031-05:00Preparing for Wage and Hour Audits<p>Recordkeeping. Compliance. Audits. These<em> aren't</em> a few of your favorite things. But the reality is that the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has stepped up its enforcement of the wage and hour laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The number of <a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/flsa/index.htm">FLSA </a>cases filed each year has nearly tripled since 1997.<br /><br />What do you need to do? Get ready!<br /><br /><strong>Review all of your jobs for proper classification as exempt or nonexempt under the law</strong>. Many employers have reorganized their operations and modified jobs in response to the decline in business over the past year. This may change the classification of the job. If the classification changes from exempt to nonexempt, you need to record hours worked and pay overtime premiums as required. This could also happen if pay rates are reduced as cost cutting measures, dropping an exempt employee's pay below the required threshold for exempt classification. Be aware that employees must be paid at least the state and/or federal <a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/minimumwage.htm">minimum wage </a>($7.25 per hour), whichever is higher.<br /><br />It's critical to determine correct status of the job, and it's not always clear cut. Check out this <a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/presentation.ppt">DOL Fairpay Presentation </a>for guidance. Exempt employees must be paid on a salaried basis (exceptions: computer professionals, outside sales workers, certain professions). Any deductions made from an exempt employees pay must comply with the Safe Harbor policy under the FLSA.<br /><br /><strong>Review timekeeping practices</strong> (these practices apply to nonexempt employees) to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements.<br /><br /><em>Timekeeping records</em> </p><ul><li>Maintain for two years</li><li>Capture start and stop times and total daily hours worked</li><li>Ensure that supervisors review and approve time cards </li></ul><p><br /><em>Timekeeping practices</em></p><ul><li>Discourage clocking in ahead of start times.</li><li>Check to see if employees are docked for lateness and if so, that you are complying with the rounding rules under the regulations.</li><li>Require employees to clock in and out for lunch and other breaks.</li><li>Review your lunch break practices. Make sure employees are off duty during the lunch break, and that the lunch break is at least one-half hour. If the break time is paid, it does not have to be counted towards time worked as long as there is a written understanding with employees to exclude the time from overtime calculations. </li><li>Rest periods less than 20 minutes should be paid. </li><li>In certain instances, activities performed before or after the formal "shift" or work period, is compensable (for example, time for donning and cleaning protective clothing for the job). </li><li>Travel time practices must comply with the Portal to Portal Act. Factors such as when the travel time takes place, whether it is overnight travel or not, whether the employee is a passenger or driver, all affect whether the travel time is paid time or not. If it is paid time, it could also be overtime (if all time worked plus travel time exceeds 40 hours for the work week). </li><li>Are employees allowed or required to work at home? If so, make sure that all time worked is recorded (and paid) for nonexempt employees. </li><li>Review compensatory time practices (applicable to public/government employers) for compliance with regulations.<br /><br />See the following DOL fact sheets:<br /><a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs22.pdf">Hours Worked under the FLSA</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs7.pdf">State and Local Governments under the FLSA</a></li></ul><p><strong>Verify Overtime calculations</strong> </p><ul><li>Regular rate of pay calculation - You must include non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions in the calculation of regular rate of pay, which is then used to compute the overtime premium. Also, if the employee is paid at two or more rates of pay in a pay period, this is averaged in the regular rate of pay based on the number of hours worked at each rate of pay. Retroactive pay increases must also be taken into account. </li><li>All "hours worked" must be included in the calculation, including off premises work. </li><li>The calculation of overtime is to be done on a weekly basis, using one of the allowable methods under the regulations (e.g. standard over 40 hours/week method, fluctuating work week method).<br /><br />See <a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime_pay.htm">DOL Overtime Pay </a>for more details regarding overtime pay requirements under federal and state regulations. </li></ul><p><strong>Review practices for payroll recordkeeping</strong> and keep payroll records for at least three years.<br /><br />For all employees:<br /></p><ul><li>Employees full name and SSN</li><li>Address including zip code</li><li>Birth date (if less than 19) </li><li>Gender </li><li>Occupation (job title) </li></ul><p>For nonexempt employees only:</p><ul><li>Employees full name and SSN</li><li>Time and day of the week when the workweek begins </li><li>Hours worked each day </li><li>Total hours worked each workweek </li><li>Employee's regular hourly pay rate and the basis for pay (hourly, weekly, piece rate, incentive)</li><li>Total daily or weekly straight-time earnings </li><li>Total weekly overtime earnings </li><li>Additions to or deductions from pay </li><li>Total wages paid each pay period </li><li>Date of payment of wages and the pay period covered by the payment </li></ul><p>Need more information? See <a href="http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs21.pdf">Recordkeeping Requirements under the FLSA </a>for more details.<br /><br />Now that you're prepared, stay tuned for my next installment: <em>What to do if you receive notice of an audit. </em></p><p>Authored by Dave Waldorf</p><p><em></p><p><br /></p></em>Sandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-10022248789575124022009-10-23T13:57:00.000-04:002009-10-31T00:50:10.744-04:00Writing Job Descriptions - Tips and PitfallsI've always been a fan of KISS. Not the 70's rock band with the face paint - but the bacronym for a very powerful principle: "Keep it simple, stupid." This principle has broad application, and most recently I've been thinking about it in the context of job descriptions and their respective job titles.<br /><br />I have lots to say, so I'm going to muster up some real constraint here. First things first. Are job descriptions required? With one small exception, no! (The small exception refers to the Environmental Protection Agency Regulations, which requires them for jobs where employees handle hazardous waste.) But to be fair, there are some clear benefits of well-written job descriptions:<br /><br />1. Legally, they can provide some defense in cases involving ADA or FLSA-related issues. <br /> <br />2. Need to do some recruiting? A job description can serve as the basis for articulating the overall purpose of the job and identifying the essential functions. It's one way of making sure that you've got consensus as to what's required. It allows you to more accurately benchmark the job against the market so that your pay package will be competitive. It provides potential candidates with a true sense of what the job is. (Trust me, it makes the recruitment process a heck of lot more effective.)<br /><br />3.Do you really want to manage performance? A job description can be the foundation for clarifying core expectations. And it can be a great spring board for building out competencies and ultimately, career paths.<br /><br />If you're convinced that developing job descriptions is a worthy investment of your time (or if your manager has <em>told </em>you that it is), then forge ahead, brothers and sisters. But arm yourselves with the KISS principle and stand firm in your mission to describe the job in all of its glory (or not, depending on the job). <br /><br /><strong>Job descriptions should contain the following:</strong><br /><br />1. FLSA status (exempt or non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act)<br />2. Reporting relationships <br />3. Overall purpose<br />4. Essential functions<br />5. Minimum qualifications (be honest)<br />6. Working conditions<br />7. Physical demands<br />8. Disclaimer (indicating that the duties are subject to change and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list)<br />9. Dates and approvals<br /><br />If you're going to do them, you'll need to keep them current. That's a strong motivator for keeping them simple. Don't make the mistake of confusing a job description with a mind-numbing list of tasks. Typically, three to five core functions should be sufficient. Indicate the approximate percentage of time that each comprises. <br /><br /><br /><strong>The Two Biggest Pitfalls to Avoid</strong><br />If you apply this guidance will you have a good job description? Not necessarily. It's like building a house. Maybe your foundation is solid but you've got faulty wiring. I've seen hundreds of job descriptions and the predominant problems with most of them are two-fold: an inflated job title and exaggerated description of the essential duties. <br /><br /><strong>1. Inflated or Meaningless Job Titles</strong><br />If you've got a moment I'll divulge a true story. It illustrates the importance that people attach to their job title. (This is a nice way of pointing out that ego often trumps common sense.)<br /><br />I once worked with someone who was promoted (translation: assigned) to a brand new role. Absent a title that seemed intuitive, someone came up with this one: Manager of Transformation. Do you know what the purpose of this job was? Neither do I. But I do recall that this person orchestrated a lovely ice cream social and was ultimately accountable for making sure that there was an air hockey table in the break room.<br /><br />I thought it would be fun to share a few examples of audaciously silly job titles. Since one of my favorite quips is that "it's all been done before," it took me less than a nanosecond to discover a gem of website with a job title generator. Three clicks later I had three really superlative job titles:<br /><br />Human Branding Specialist<br />Executive Enabler of Media Partnerships<br />Global Accountability Engineer<br /><br />What do these have in common? More baloney than the lunchmeat factory!<br /><br /><strong>Tip: Call it what it is. </strong> If you don't know quite what to call it, focus on the kinds of jobs that your target candidates may have right now. If you need to hire a bookkeeper, <em>don't</em> call it an Assistant Accounting Specialist.<br /><br /><strong>2. Exaggerated Job Duties </strong><br />Given a choice, I'd rather deal with a lousy job title than a lousy job description. When I benchmark jobs for clients against survey data, I typically ignore the title altogether and dive right into the description. The words don't lie. Or do they? I've found that it can take a strong cup of coffee, two reviews of the job description, the help of a colleague and a serious reading between the lines to get to the truth. I suspect it's our proclivity to sugar-coat more than just our breakfast cereal.<br /><br /><strong>Tip: Choose your action words carefully.</strong> Using words such as "responsible for" is too non-specific. Using words that inflate the job duty are equally as dangerous. If you describe the job duties of the warehouse worker as "managing," how will you differentiate the job of a true manager? Here are some sample action verbs to get you thinking: administers, authorizes, carries, coordinates, counts, estimates, files, modifies, procures, records, services, transfers, writes, etc. <br /><br />Whew! Ready to give it a go? Just remember to use honest language so that you can keep it real. And keep it simple. <br /><br />Authored by Sandy TurbaSandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222293565464488283.post-76927477555438562192009-10-07T17:10:00.000-04:002009-10-07T17:42:19.939-04:00Preparing for the H1N1 (Swine Flu) PandemicThe World Health Organization declared swine flu a pandemic in June. Here we are in October, spurred to action by months of news reports, the impending availability of a vaccine and the realization that if we haven't done so yet, we'd better prepare.<br /><br />Government officials estimate that up to 40% of the U.S. workforce will be affected by the H1N1 flu, also known as the swine flu. While this isn't suggesting that 4 out of every 10 of your employees will get the virus, the reality is that those employees - even if they don't get sick - may be the caregivers for family members who do.<br /><br />Are you ready? Check our list below. We've got some helpful tips and resources to help you increase your readiness.<br /><br /><strong>1. Change your sick leave policies </strong>so that workers who are ill are encouraged to stay home until they are well - without fear of impact to their job. This is a good time to review your absence and leave policies. Do they reflect your actual practice? Are they compliant with state and federal workplace laws such as state leave of absence or sick leave laws and FMLA? Update them, communicate them to all employees, and re-educate your managers.<br /><br />Consider adding the following to your absenteeism policy:<br /><br />"In the judgment of [name of company/organization], if an employee poses a risk to their own health or the health of other employees or customers based on a medical determination of a communicable illness, they will be asked to stay home and placed on sick leave or medical leave of absence until the threat has passed. If an employee disputes this determination, they must submit a statement from their attending health care provider that such risk does not exist. The company/organization reserves the right to seek a second opinion in that case. In carrying out this policy, the company/organization will comply with all applicable statutes and regulations protecting the privacy of personal medical information."<br /><br /><strong>2. Encourage employees to get vaccinated </strong>for both seasonal influenza and H1N1, if it is appropriate for them according to CDC recommendations. (See <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/">http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/</a>). Vaccines for the seasonal influenza can help prevent illness from influenza strains that may circulate at the same time as the 2009 H1N1 flu. Consider granting employees time off from work to get vaccinated for the H1N1 flu when the vaccine is available. Hospitals and clinics in many communities will be offering vaccines - some free of charge. Post information on these offerings in common areas to remind employees of the availability.<br /><br /><strong>3. Educate employees about preventing the flu.</strong> Make sure that written or posted materials are in a format that is easy for all employees to understand. Make an extra effort to promote hygiene in the work environment. Provide tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectants and disposable towels for employees to clean common surfaces. Increase the schedule for sanitizing surfaces that are frequently touched. This could include door handles, telephones, hand railings, tables, eating areas, and restrooms. Provide workers with up-to-date information on influenza risk factors, protective behaviors such as cough etiquette, avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth, and hand hygiene.<br /><br /><strong>4. Instruct employees who are well (but who have an ill family member at home with the flu) that they can go to work as usual.</strong> If these employees become ill, they should notify their supervisor and stay home. Employees who have a certain underlying medical conditions or who are pregnant should call their health care provider right away if they become ill.<br /><br /><strong>5. Be flexible where possible to allow employees to work from home </strong>to care for sick family members or care for children if schools close.<br /><br /><strong>6. When possible, minimize face-to-face contact between employees. </strong>Consider the use of such strategies as extended use of e-mail, websites and teleconferences instead of face to face meetings and air travel. Encourage flexible work arrangements as a way to reduce the number of employees who must be at the work site at the same time or in one specific location.<br /><br /><strong>7. If an employee does become sick while at work,</strong> have a separate room or area (away from other employees) available to them until they can go home. If the employee needs to go into a common area prior to leaving, he or she should cover coughs/sneezes with a tissue or wear a face mask if available. Ask the employee to go home as soon as possible. Employees should stay home from work until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.<br /><br /><strong>8. Identify coverage options for critical business operations.</strong> Determine how your remaining staff will assume additional responsibilities while coworkers are out ill. Assess internal skills and identify outside staffing firms that can supply temporary talent if needed. Cross train employees for potential coverage needs.<br /><br />Want more information? Check out the Business Planning section at <a href="http://www.flu.gov/">http://www.flu.gov/</a>.<br /><br />Then take a deep breath (with or without your face mask). Once you've done what you can to prepare, you've taken control as best you can. After all, you know what they say about an ounce of prevention.<br /><br />Authored by Dave WaldorfSandy Turbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18013519983937392029noreply@blogger.com0